Monday, March 31, 2008

News-Argus/Matthew Whittle With more than 32,000 turkeys in his six houses, third-generation farmer Billy Hardy of LaGrange is careful about making sure his investments stay healthy. For more information see Turkey health watch: Keeping bird flu away....

For Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory there are few differences between the needs of eastern North Carolina, the Triangle and the mountains. To him, he said as he traveled through Goldsboro Friday, it's all one state. "We're giving the same message...

Today, several years removed from the height of the avian flu scares in 2005 and 2006, state health and agricultural experts are confident that while the threat still exists, it has at least been minimized in North Carolina. In North...

For Billy Hardy, a third-generation Lenoir County farmer, turkeys have been a way of life for the last 23 years, and he is not interested in that changing. "We used to grow tobacco, but I got out to focus on...

Meeting with party leaders and supporters while campaigning in Goldsboro recently for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, Greg Dority is emphasizing the need to help the middle class. "The middle class folks are the ones who carry the state...

Meeting Tuesday, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners is expected to declare April 26 "Amnesty Day" at the county landfill on Landfill Road in Dudley. That means that on that day tipping fees will be waived for county residents --...

Although 10 women walked the stage of the newly rebuilt Paramount Theatre in their swimsuits and evening gowns Saturday night, only one could be crowned Miss Goldsboro 2008. And this year, that crown and sash belongs to Lisa Mace....

Recruiting and retaining minority students concerns officials at Wayne Community College. Despite support efforts, including the addition of minority clubs and receipt of a three-year grant targeting the problem, the number of non-white students continues to drop. Currently, minority...

Depending on where he or she buys them, a pair of "True Religion" brand jeans can run a shopper more than $700 retail. And that pricey denim was among more than $80,000 in other counterfeit items seized from two Goldsboro...

FREMONT -- The rain might have helped the daffodils, but it also kept crowds from thinking spring in Fremont Saturday afternoon. The 22nd annual Daffodil Festival began with warmer weather, but as the day went on, those attending the festival...

State Sen. John Kerr will receive the Tuscarora Boy Scout Council's Distinguished Citizen Award April 14 at Walnut Creek Country Club. Tuscarora Council Executive Harold Keller said the invitations went out this week for the event, which begins with a...

Special to The News-Argus Wayne County Reads has rescheduled award-winning author Gene Roberts to speak on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College. He was originally set to appear in February, but inclement weather prevented...

Wayne Community College was in lockdown for more than three hours Thursday as staff and more than 65 representatives from emergency agencies participated in a mock crisis exercise on the campus. The staged event allowed the college to put...

From staff reports Wayne County will sponsor rabies vaccination clinics two weekends in April at the locations listed below. The cost is $5 per dog or cat, or pet owners can take their pet to a veterinarian for the shot....

Friday, March 28, 2008

A suspicious car parked outside Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's Berkeley Boulevard gate caused a stir late Thursday morning for base and city officials alike. The incident began when an "abandoned vehicle" was identified in the base visitors center parking...

Goldsboro police investigated an armed robbery and another weapon-involving robbery attempt within a few hours of one another, according to reports. In the same time period, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office handled another armed robbery on 117 South in Dudley,...

The city of Goldsboro has been watching thousands of dollars go downstream for months now. Ever since the third and most restrictive phase of mandatory conservation measures took effect on Nov. 5, the quantity of water going out to residents...

By Monday, Duplin County officials are hoping to find out whether or not their $3.5 million tax grant incentive proposal is going to pay off as they wait for poultry waste management company Fibrowatt to announce its choice between Duplin...

Cocaine raid A Whitfield Drive resident had two grams of cocaine when the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad stopped his light blue Lincoln four-door sedan on Royall Avenue, according to city police reports and a Drug Squad news release. Phillip Michael...

United Way of Wayne County is looking for individuals who are willing to share their experiences with how the organization improved their lives. United Way hopes to identify up to two individuals to be featured in the 2008 campaign materials...

Thursday, March 27, 2008

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was locked down this morning after officials found an abandoned car near the main gate. No threat was found, and the car was towed. For more information, please see tomorrow's Goldsboro News-Argus....

Listening to the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's 2008 State of the Community program Wednesday morning, Peter Appleton found himself feeling slightly disappointed. "I think this is all good," the Mount Olive College associate professor of agribusiness said about the...

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Irate neighbors of a Hispanic culture-themed nightclub have until at least April 4 to hear if the club can sell beer, an official said. Two dozen people jammed into a Cherry Hospital basement conference room in January,...

Lucky might have made the biggest splash, but Wednesday evening belonged to a 6-month-old goat named Education and its exhibitor, Elizabeth Rowe. Dozens of spectators joined more than 30 young people ages 5-19 at the Wayne Regional Fairgrounds Wednesday night...

The Goldsboro Jaycees are looking for a few good citizens. The Distinguished Service Awards are coming up, and nominations are currently being accepted for outstanding citizens in seven categories. The Outstanding Senior Citizen Award recognizes people over the age of...

Longtime Girl Scout volunteer Betty Kemp will be named a Woman of Distinction by the N.C. Coastal Pines Girl Scouts during a recognition banquet May 8 at the Goldsboro Country Club. Invitations are going out this week for the event....

What will the Village of Walnut Creek will look like in 2018? Planning board members and Village Council members will soon be looking into the development of a 10-year plan for the village, they said at their meeting Wednesday night....

DUDLEY -- An explosion at a Georgia-Pacific wood processing plant means a safety investigation by the N.C. Department of Labor, a spokesman said. Sawdust in four remote collection bins at the facility exploded and caught fire around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday....

Wrench through window Rachel Brown reported someone threw a wrench through a $50 window at her home in the 3000 block of East Ash Street early on Wednesday morning, Goldsboro police said. Thefts reported *Joyce Ward of East Holly Street...

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Firefighters from five volunteer fire departments responded to an explosion at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Dudley shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday. The blast could be heard for a mile in every direction, residents said. Firefighters were on...

Wayne Community College Board of Trustees Tuesday night approved a small increase in its student activity fee, slightly altered its admissions policy for undocumented immigrants and moved up the May meeting date to allow more discussion time for the long-range...

No one was hurt in an explosion and minor fire at Georgia-Pacific wood processing facility last night, authorities said. But Plant Manager Charles McLendon told Dudley Assistant Fire Chief Don Garner the incident caused $20,000 in damages to an oriented...

PIKEVILLE -- One Pikeville town commissioner discussed a commitment to "always" keeping a library in Pikeville, as the mayor lamented possible effects of a countywide library plan. Newly-elected Commissioner Dennis Lewis said he thought Pikeville should continue funding libraries even...

Don't expect to buy a hot dog or nachos once the new Community Recreation Center opens. The facility won't have a full kitchen facility, mostly because of the cost. City staff members had said they would love to have the...

Ryquia Shaw has been named the 2008 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County and will now compete for the state honor against 36 other young people in Raleigh on April 3-4. Ryquia, 14,...

MAR-MAC -- A burglar who awoke a Devonshire Drive couple while stealing beer and cash was arrested Tuesday, authorities said. Thomislav and Diana Senzel told Sheriff's Office detectives a man broke into their home the night of March 6, according...

Police say an intoxicated Beaufort man driving a stolen car under a revoked license refused to stop after being clocked at a high rate of speed on Spence Avenue. Kevin Earl Guthrie, 25, led police on a chase Tuesday morning...

Arson attempt The Wayne County Sheriff's Office suspects arson in a Monday evening fire at the Woodcroft Drive home of Angie Sollars, according to a report. A flower box under a window was set on fire, causing $2,000 in damages...

FREMONT -- The Wayne County Sheriff's Office has leads and a "person of interest" in a Black Creek Road murder, but still needs help piecing the case together. And an anonymous donor hopes an extra $5,000 may help uncover information...

MOUNT OLIVE -- A town woman died Monday night after being struck by a pickup truck on County Road, police said. Sharon Carter, who was about 48 years old, was walking on County Road near the intersection of Nellie Avenue,...

A Goldsboro police detective says an East Ash Street man accused of stealing a dog from a veterinary clinic is in custody. Police charged Matthew Lee Johnson, 24, East Ash Street, with possessing stolen goods, larceny of a dog, breaking...

The city of Goldsboro and the Goldsboro/Wayne County Travel & Tourism organization are working together with North Star Destination Strategies to come up with a "brand" for the area. The brand would be similar to any well-known brand that gives...

Eleven years ago Sudie Davis was part of a task force responsible for introducing Communities in Schools to Wayne County. Serving as board chairman, she stepped in to keep it afloat when the first director hired left. "We were broke...

Fire starter charged A Park Ridge Road woman tried to burn down the house she shared with her boyfriend when he asked her to leave, authorities said Monday. The Wayne County Sheriff's charged Britney Latrice Baker, 19, with felonious burning...

Country music singer Roy Clark will soon be crooning on the stage of the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium. On April 19, Clark will take to the stage twice for performances sponsored by Johnston Community College, Triangle Insurance Group and...

Monday, March 24, 2008

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Quinton Rouse, 2, and his father, Greg Rouse, check on the tobacco plants growing in a greenhouse on his grandfather C.W. Smith’s farm in the Pricetown community. Most farmers begin growing their tobacco plants in greenhouses instead...

Faced with a large segment of the population that is rapidly growing older, Wayne County Services on Aging has a new four-year plan to help direct the county's response. Created at the behest of the Eastern Carolina Council on Area...

Police conducting criminal lineups have new rules to follow since the first of this month. It's an attempt to make eyewitness identification more scientific, proponents say. But Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders said the new procedures also mean organizational headaches....

As they do every year, state Department of Transportation officials have contracted for roads across the state to be re-paved and resurfaced this summer. In Wayne County, $3.3 million is allocated for the effort, covering expenses for sections of U.S....

Eastern Wayne High senior Noelle Kelly has earned two prestigious college awards, the Morehead-Cain Scholarship and a Duke Trinity Scholarship. The Morehead-Cain Scholarship program is one of the most competitive in the nation. Recipients will attend the University of North...

Sunday, March 23, 2008

On May 6, voters in Wayne County will have the rare opportunity to decide on their own taxes. On the ballot, along with this spring's primaries, will be a quarter-cent sales tax referendum. That referendum, which the commissioners voted...

The quarter-cent sales tax referendum on the May 6 primary ballot will appear as follows: COUNTY SALES AND USE TAX Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other state and local...

BEAULAVILLE -- A Vir-ginia teenager is dead from a two-car crash after running a stop sign, a crash that also injured a Pink Hill man, the Highway Patrol said. Jenna King, 17, ran a stop sign in her Honda Civic...

Janet Barnes has met many people over her three-decade-long career teaching music in Wayne County Public Schools. And as she prepares to end her journey, which has taken her to several schools around the county, she is hoping to see...

From staff reports Ten young women will compete in the annual Miss Goldsboro Scholarship program on Saturday, March 29, starting at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. The pageant will honor Miss Goldsboro 2007, Nicki Sanderson, with a special tribute...

From staff reports Norwayne Middle School defended its title in the Wayne County Public Schools' 22nd annual "Battle of the Books" competition recently. This is the third year in a row that the school team won the district competition. The...

Friday, March 21, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Heather Odom and her 15-month-old daughter Savannah look at a science display at the Berkeley Mall today that was constructed by students from Norwayne Middle School. Science and math projects by students from across Wayne County are...

Goldsboro police are looking for an Avon saleswoman who allegedly used the job to case a customer's home. Allison Ray Crockett, 42, whose last known address was on Mill Creek Court, is wanted on multiple felony-level warrants. Sgt. Chad Calloway...

After nearly two years of discussion and planning, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners has finally approved the county's long-term comprehensive plan. The plan, which features 12 different focus points, each with its own overarching vision statement, policy recommendations and...

Members of the committee planning a proposed Community Recreation Center discussed variations of the plan at a meeting Thursday with architects. Committee members met with representatives of Pearch, Brinkley, Cease + Lee to go over the design of the center....

City water service will be interrupted in several areas next week in order to allow city crews repair water lines. Service will be interrupted on Tuesday, March 25, from 8 a.m. until noon for the residents in the 300 and...

It hasn't been formally discussed by the Wayne County Planning Board yet because of time constraints at its last two meetings, but county Planning Director Connie Price is proposing that a new zone be added to the zoning ordinance for...

The Wayne County Museum will offer children a spring and summer scavenger hunt Tuesday through Aug. 22. Children follow clues throughout the museum, and when they find the last clue, they get to pick out a prize. Ages 5 and...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Rosewood High School teacher Lindsay Barwick is the 2008 Young Careerist of the Year. She received the honor this month during the Wayne-Duplin Business and Professional Women's meeting. As the new Young Careerist of the Year, Ms....

A dog park in Goldsboro is becoming more than just an idea. The Stoney Creek Park Alliance further discussed the aspects of incorporating a dog park in Stoney Creek Park at their meeting Thursday. Currently, members of the alliance are...

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Faced with an aging county communications system, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners decided two years ago to begin replacing it. "We literally have been duct taping our communication system together for years. It's 40 years old," Wayne County Manager...

Goldsboro police say a recent rash of counterfeit bill reports is more than mere coincidence, and suspect someone is peddling fake cash locally. Sgt. Chad Calloway said that people in the field have been taking in reports of someone either...

Downtown Goldsboro may soon have another attraction -- wireless Internet service. Businessman David Weil spoke to the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp.'s Board of Directors Wednesday about working with them to provide the service in part of the city. Weil said...

The Goldsboro City Council will return to its historic chambers in the old City Hall at its next meeting. The council met Monday night for the last time in the City Hall Addition. The century-old City Hall has been undergoing...

Eastern Wayne High School senior Michael McKnight has been awarded a Park Scholarship to attend North Carolina State University. The Park Scholarship, valued at about $59,000 for North Carolina residents and $107,000 for out-of-state students, is among the nation's most...

Goldsboro police are seeking a 25-year-old man for attempted murder, police said. Investigator Dave Cloutier said Icshon Zaquan Jones, who goes by the alias "Trigger," shot into a car with the intention of killing the occupant. The shooting took place...

Break-in arrests Goldsboro police say they caught Michael Bellamy, 17, of Olivia Lane, and three juveniles trying to break into Citi-Trends on North Center Street. Two of the three juveniles were immediately taken into custody, and a third was soon...

A 60-year-old Goldsboro man who shot a city police captain in the chest two years ago was sentenced to nearly 46 years in prison in a Raleigh federal court this week. Bobby Lee Rawlings, formerly of East Elm Street, stood...

Nearly a year ago, Staff Sgt. Daniel Spencer was on a road 40 miles northeast of Baghdad when a bomb shot his armored patrol vehicle 10 feet in the air. Just six months later, the airman took another drive down...

Wayne Memorial Hospital has been forced to consider alternatives to reduce interest costs on its 2006 bond issue for $35 million. A sharp drop in the auction rate bond market has impacted Wayne Memorial and nine other hospitals, including Pitt...

Meeting in the second of four scheduled sessions, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education began preliminary discussions about the school system's 2008-09 budget Tuesday afternoon. "When it says draft, that's exactly what that means," Superintendent Dr....

FREMONT -- For the second month in a row, citizens gathered at town hall to complain to their aldermen about what they see as an overzealous police department. But the late-arriving crowd of about seven was smaller and less vocal...

The grand re-opening of Goldsboro's century-old City Hall on Tuesday gave city officials, residents and guests a chance to reminisce about the past and look ahead to the city's future. Mayor Al King said the renovated structure will be a...

Thefts reported *James Hibbard of North George Street reported his brown 1988 Isuzu Trooper was stolen from a parking lot in the 1600 block of North George Street sometime over the weekend, Goldsboro police said. *James Brown Jackson of Perkins...

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Aniya Williams, left, and Marticia Teachey, kindergarten students at North Drive Elementary School get a chance to meet Miss North Carolina, Jessica Jacobs, at their school this morning. Miss Jacobs is traveling the state promoting literacy. While...

The Goldsboro City Council lifted some water restrictions on city residents Monday night, saying the drought crisis has eased somewhat due to recent rains, but warned residents to continue conserving wherever possible. "Don't forget how to conserve," Mayor Al King...

The ambassador of the Republic of Modova is scheduled to make a "major announcement" during his visit to Mount Olive College on Thursday, a college official said. Dr. Ken Stokes, dean of the Tillman School of Business at the college,...

The Board of Education Monday night approved an architect and construction manager for phase one of its schools capital project, and discussed the preliminary budget that will be submitted to the county commission. The 90-minute called meeting was the precursor...

Running with an eye toward helping to fix some of the areas that she sees the state failing in, Patricia Oliver is hoping to gain the Democratic nomination for the North Carolina Senate District 12 seat during the May 6...

Local businesses can find out the latest information on immigration rules and politices at a seminar sponsored by the Wayne County Latino Council March 28. The seminar will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wayne Center....

I.R.S. Special Agent and public information officer Nancy Hatfield said that agents of the Internal Revenue Service were present, not involved in an investigation, during raids of Murphy's Place in Mount Olive. The agent said she did not confirm that...

Monday, March 17, 2008

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber Connie Turnage, center, talks with Hoss Peele, right, ande William Moore at a breakfast meeting for the Disabled American Veterans. With more ande more disabled veterans coming out of the war in Iraq, local veterans say the...

From staff reports A Duplin County man was reportedly stabbed to death Sunday on Garner's Chapel Road but Duplin County Sheriff's Office officials refused to comment on the incident. A call to the office of Duplin Sheriff Blake Wallace was...

Bill Graham looks across a table inside the Disabled American Veterans' Post 45 home base off Patrick Street. He listens to his 40-year-old junior vice commander respond to the notion that veterans' groups are dying out. "These young kids fighting...

Meeting Tuesday, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners is expected discuss, and possibly give final approval to the Wayne County Comprehensive Plan. The plan, which has been in the works for nearly two years, features 12 vision areas, including...

Local legislators are approaching Gov. Mike Easley's recent proposals to fix the state's mental health system with a healthy dose of skepticism. While acknowledging that something needs to be done to help stabilize a system that has been reeling...

From staff reports The Wayne County Services on Aging has five openings in its free respite care program. The program is not adult day care. It is designed to offer structured activities and supervision for senior citizens who have some...

Sunday, March 16, 2008

An elderly man involved in a car accident took a vehicle by knifepoint and led police on a chase before crashing into an occupied police cruiser, a church's brick column, trees, a clothesline and another car, Goldsboro police said. Police...

With steady rains falling over much of North Carolina so far this year, several local legislators are accusing Gov. Mike Easley of being slow in presenting a proposal to deal with the state's year-long drought and future water needs. Some...

Freed and exonerated former Goldsboro resident Dwayne Dail probably won't bring his speaking tour of college campuses to Wayne Community College. Dail and his attorney feel a college representative rebuffed a request by the former county resident and his co-speaker,...

Hoping to kick off a series of community education meetings, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will host the 2008 State of the Community presentation on March 26. Presented by the chamber's Government Affairs Committee, the program will feature a...

As the Mount Olive Republican prepares for a battle for state Senate District 5, Louis Pate called out the state's Democrat governor on water issues Saturday morning. The Wayne County Republican Party held its GOP monvention at the Wayne Center...

Perry Bunn wasn't used to punching a time clock. And, to be honest, after landing on probation in October, it wasn't something he expected to be doing -- not with his background. But last week, as the 28-year-old reported to...

While Wayne County Day Reporting Center Director Theresa Barratt is hoping to expand their job training and apprenticeship programs, she is also hoping to offer her charges some personal attention as well. She explained that while many of the criminal...

Wayne County Public Schools has hired a new counselor to help local military students and their parents adjust to their new hometowns. Jamie Livengood has been hired by the school system as its military counselor. The state legislature has already...

Ryan Novo, the Goldsboro Family YMCA's new youth director, is looking for Wayne County's next generation of leaders. Novo said he plans to start a branch of the Leaders Club at the YMCA in August. He said Leaders Club is...

Counterfeit reports up Goldsboro police report a higher-than-usual number of attempts to pass counterfeit money, a crime that tends to run in cycles in police jurisdictions, according to authorities. Police received three reports of people trying to pass counterfeit bills...

With nine public hearings to be held, the Goldsboro City Council will have a full docket at its meeting Monday night, which includes two requests for conditional use permits for one existing and one new pub downtown. One hearing will...

Friday, March 14, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Rosewood High School seniors and Little River volunteer firefighters Eric Jones, left, Byron Cavenaugh and Bryan Jones sit inside the athletic office at Rosewood High. For more information see Football and fighting fires help keep these friends...

PIKEVILLE -- The resignation of Pikeville Police Chief Ken Barrett is causing some uproar in town, at least with one former commissioner and citizens circulating a petition for the chief's return. Former Commissioner Johnny Weaver, who chose not to run...

District 1 resident and Mayor's Neighborhood Committee member Frankie Anna Lewis wants to know why Goldsboro officials are not continuing the group organized to bring residents' concerns to the city leadership. Mayor Al King said he originally set up the...

These three "brothers" -- two of them by birth -- do everything together. They fight fires, go to Rosewood High School, play football and work at Builder's Discount Center. Twins Eric and Bryan Jones, 18, and their lifelong friend Byron...

Faced with 17 candidates -- incumbents and newcomers -- running for the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, first in the May 6 primary and then in the November general election, County Manager Lee Smith is organizing an information session to...

For Nena Reeves, candidate for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 12, of all the problems facing Raleigh, the one at the root is the need to change the capital's culture and attitude. "We need to restore confidence in...

Currently in his fourth term as a member of the Johnston County Board of Education, Democrat Kay Carroll is hoping to make the jump to state politics as he runs for his party's nomination for the open Senate District 12...

An assault weapon was fired into two residences in Courtyard Circle apartments Thursday afternoon, but police have no witnesses willing to talk, Sgt. Chad Calloway said. No one was injured. One man was arrested on an existing warrant, but police...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Three cousins pleaded guilty to plotting the death of Mount Olive's Russell Lee Nickelson this week, all receiving 15- to 18-month sentences in plea deals with prosecutors, court records show. Another man, Robert "Bobby" Leach has already...

The City of Goldsboro is looking for a couple good men or women to run its Human Resources and Community Development departments. With the application period closng today, the Human Resources director will provide guidance and implement policies for city...

Thursday, March 13, 2008

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Murphy’s Place on Center Street in Mount Olive was the site of a raid by state and local law enforcement officers, who seized records from the establishment. For more information see Law officers keeping mum about 'numbers...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Federal and local officials released little about Tuesday's police raids on an illegal lottery ring reportedly involving a local restaurant and bar. The Duplin County Sheriff's Office played a lead role in the investigation, although four Wayne...

KINSTON -- After spending all day discussing water issues Monday at North Carolina's Eastern Region's water summit at the Global TransPark in Kinston, the question on the minds of every participant was where to go next. For most, after hearing...

FREMONT -- A Fremont man is charged with first-degree rape of a child for molesting a 12-year-old, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said. Detective Sgt. Richard Winders investigated Victor Alfonso Espino-Alferos of Peacock Street in Fremont for a report of...

A Wisconsin man who moved to Goldsboro in 2004 was sentenced to 35 years in prison for child pornography this week, the U.S. Attorney's office said. A federal judge sentenced Johnny Ray Lee, 40, for trafficking child pornography over the...

Three months after being told funding had been cut, WAGES was given a reprieve this week to continue its medication management program. WAGES -- Wayne Action Group for Economic Solvency -- was notified in December that grant money for the...

The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Wayne County 2008 State of the Community on March 26 at the Wayne Community College's Moffatt Auditorium. The State of the Community is a new program for the Wayne County Chamber...

The Wayne County Republican Party will hold precinct meetings and the Wayne County GOP Convention on Saturday at the Wayne Center on the corner of Chestnut and George Street. Registration starts at 8 a.m., precinct meetings start at 8:30 and...

Reward doubled in murder case The Wayne County Sheriff's Office increased the reward for information leading to the person responsible for the murder of Silvia Benitez Morales of Fremont, according to a news release. Mrs. Morales was reportedly killed at...

Student teams from five schools will be compete in the Battle of the Books competition next week, testing their reading and memory skills. March 20 will mark Wayne County Public Schools' 22nd annual event, a quiz bowl-type competition that encourages...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran announced this afternoon that they have charged two suspects with first-degree murder in the killing of University of North Carolina student president Eve Carson. One, 21-year-old Demario James Atwater was arrested by Durham...

Authorities have charged a suspect in the killing of University of North Carolina student president Eve Carson. According to documents filed at the Orange County Courthouse today, Demario James Atwater has been charged with murder in connection to the...

A call comes in from somewhere in the desert. A Joint Tactical Air Controller on the ground in Afghanistan's Helmand province needs air support. He and his comrades are taking fire from a trench line. * Hundreds of miles away,...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Duplin County Sheriff officers and other investigators descended Murphy's Place on Center Street in Mount Olive and the home of the bar's owner Tuesday, searching for evidence of an illegal lottery ring. But the restaurant and bar...

If North Carolina is going to avoid future water shortages, leaders need more power to regulate water use in communities and more attention needs to be paid to conservation and to the condition of water systems throughout the state, Gov....

MOUNT OLIVE -- Scott Waddle's career in the Navy went down with the Ehime Maru. The nine who perished aboard that Japanese fishing vessel took a piece of the commander with them. It was Feb. 9, 2001. Until that day,...

Melissa Harrell of the Goldsboro Counseling Center knows what it is like to deal with postpartum depression. A mother of three herself, she, too, has battled with the mixed emotions that go along with the birth of a child for...

Stolen gun turns up Carroll Ingram of King Road, Grantham asked a Goldsboro police officer to check the serial number on a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun and the weapon came up stolen, police said. Goldsboro police found the gun to...

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will a district Youth Hunter Safety Tournament March 15 at Camp Tuscarora near Bentonville. The event is one of nine planned across the state, paving the way to the annual state championship in April. Team...

KENANSVILLE -- The Chi Iota Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will hold its 5th Annual Junior Step Show on Saturday, March 29 at 6 p.m. at Kenan Memorial Auditorium in Kenansville. Proceeds from the event will be used...

The Goldsboro Ballet will perform the Sleeping Beauty Ballet this weekend in the new Paramount Theatre on Center Stret. The ballet is selling tickets now through Friday at the Community Arts Council on Ash Street from 9-5 pm. Tickets are...

KENANSVILLE -- Sarah's Refuge is sponsoring a play on March 15 at 5 p.m. at Kenan Auditorium at 427 Main Street in Kenansville. For more information, call 910-293-3467. Sarah's Refuge is a non-profit shelter for battered and abused women....

RALEIGH -- State parks will take advantage of a change in daylight-saving time by extending their operating hours in the spring and fall. Beginning this month, state parks and state recreation areas routinely will close no earlier than 8 p.m....

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Onlookers can now see Union Station’s windows, a part of the building that architect David Gall calls the eyes. Several outbuildings have also been demolished, and the few remaining will be removed soon to provide a more...

KINSTON -- There might be a day -- perhaps soon -- in eastern North Carolina when homes are built with special underground stormwater storage tanks, tax incentives are given for purchasing low-flow appliances and fixtures, and fresh, clean drinking water...

With initial preparations completed, the real work on the old Union Station downtown has begun. Architect David E. Gall, who is overseeing the planning for the project, said he is excited about the transformation he expects to see in the...

A Princeton High School senior died Sunday after missing a stop sign on Brogden Road, just a few miles southeast of Smithfield, the state Highway Patrol reported. Mamie Katlyn Bell, 18, was driving a 2001 Toyota south on Old Sanders...

FREMONT -- The Charles B. Aycock Birthplace has reopened as clean-up continues after a January fire. Yellow ribbon surrounds the partially burned house in which the state's education governor was born -- the result of a suspected arson earlier in...

In Monday's News-Argus, a story on the U.S. 70/Beston Road intersection incorrectly said that the mother of a 6-year-old girl that was killed had turned around in the median. She was crossing the intersection when her car was struck....

Monday, March 10, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa The intersection of Beston Road and U.S. 70 used to be accident-prone. Now, with directional crossover lanes and signage prohibiting left and U-turns, many residents believe the intersection is a safer one but also more confusing. For...

Nearly six months after a series of recommendations for creating economic opportunities in northern Wayne County was laid out for them, leaders in Pikeville, Fremont and Eureka have finally selected their task force members and plan to begin work in...

Darrell Allison recalls looking for a 12-foot ladder years ago while living in Charlotte. With a Home Depot on one side of the street and Lowe's on the other, Allison decided to do some comparison shopping. "I found one for...

Accidents are down at the Beston Road and U.S. 70 interchange, but residents and business owners say they still have mixed feelings about the changes made there. The interchange, which is located a few miles east of Walnut Creek, used...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Former Duplin County Commissioner Larry Howard of the White Flash community of Duplin County died Sunday at Wayne Memorial Hospital. His wife of 42 years, Janet, said Howard passed peacefully around midnight Saturday. He went to the...

Not being able to afford a dress should not keep a Wayne County high school junior or senior from attending prom, two local groups of volunteers have decided. When the Garris Chapel United Methodist Church put out a call for...

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners voted last week to revise the county's water restrictions to permit county retail water customers to utilize hand-held watering at any time. Also, retail water customers may utilize drip irrigation and soaker hoses for...

Sunday, March 9, 2008

They slip out in the middle of the night when few are awake to notice — 20, 30 at a time. They are touring in Iraq, but for nearly twice the typical Air Force deployment time. They quietly appreciate...

FREMONT — Silvia Bonitez Morales might have struggled with her killer before she was murdered in her home Monday afternoon, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Saturday. And now, Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders is hoping that piece of...

Chief District Court Judge Joe Setzer's “love of the practice of law” is not enough to keep him from retiring to pursue other interests, like sailing through the British Virgin Islands and helping build sets for local theatre group...

PIKEVILLE — Pikeville police Chief Ken Barrett announced his resignation Friday in a letter citing a disagreement with officials over what hours he would work. The resignation is effective March 31, according to a letter the chief left for...

Friday, March 7, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa A crowd waits outside the entrance to the Paramount Theatre on Thursday night before the opening of the musical “Oklahoma!” being put on by Stagestruck. It was the first performance in the newly rebuilt theater, which was...

Amidst all of the focus on mental health reforms and Gov. Mike Easley's proposed adjustments Tuesday, Eastpointe Director Ken Jones said that overall, he thinks the new secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services has the mental...

Given the opportunity, men will usually step up and try to become better men, says one Goldsboro minister. It's like "iron sharpening iron," said Rev. Bill Wilson, pastor of The Lord's Table on Parkway Drive. "A man will never be...

Deciding on the last day of candidate filing to run in the Democratic primary for the Wayne County Register of Deeds seat in May, Constance Coram explained that she was motivated out of a desire to give back to her...

With a 10-year facilities plan in the works and a long-range comprehensive plan about to be adopted, Wayne County Manager Lee Smith is spending the first few months of 2008 rounding out his executive leadership team. Early this week, one...

North Carolina Wesleyan College President Dr. Ian D. C. Newbould has announced he is stepping down effective June 30 to accept the position of President of Richmond, The American International University in London. Newbould, who served as Wesleyan's president since...

For the 10th consecutive year, Goldsboro has been named a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to community forestry. The city has met the four standards to become such a community -- having...

Thursday, March 6, 2008

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber Connie Turnage, left, driver Samuel Williamson and Warren Rook prepare to go to Fayetteville Wednesday morning from the Disabled American Veterans building on Patrick Street in Goldsboro. For more information see Volunteer group tries to find rides...

After Gov. Mike Easley announced several initiatives Tuesday designed to shake up the mental health reforms begun in 2001, some local officials, including Eastpointe Director Ken Jones, voiced concern about the direction of the proposals -- namely those concerning...

Goldsboro police say a teen-ager accused of setting fire to two area Wal-Mart stores was caught during a break-in in progress. Investigators said Fiante Semaj Amerson, 17, East Seymour Drive, was involved in a Jan. 15 fire set at...

It is only 6 in the morning, but William Johnson has been awake for a while now. He is wearing a uniform, only not the Air Force camouflage he grew accustomed to donning during his tour in Vietnam. The...

A Dudley man who took a 12-year-old girl away from her family for sexual relations is among the 62 bills of indictment returned by a county grand jury this week. Brigido Santos Hernandez, 19, Jake Drive, Dudley, was charged...

Goldsboro police are looking for five or six black men who apparently set fire to a public housing unit on Olivia Lane on Wednesday morning, a detective said. Investigator Dave Cloutier said there is evidence that a fire was...

As the only Democrat filed for the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, Charles Bruton has the luxury of avoiding a May primary, but he nonetheless is beginning to work to get his message out to voters....

Teen charged A juvenile faces charges for breaking into Eastern Wayne High School on Monday night, Goldsboro police said. A window had been broken out of a trailer behind the gym, but the suspect ran and police could not track...

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Wayne County and Goldsboro received scattered minor damage from a storm front that crossed eastern North Carolina Tuesday night. High winds downed trees in several neighborhoods, scattered debris and left some residents without power. The county received from a half...

A Goldsboro man who ran from Goldsboro police after they found him at the scene of a crime now faces more charges, police said. Sgt. Chad Calloway said Joseph Renford Roberts, 48, North Virginia Street, broke into nine businesses over...

Faced with a mental health system in constant turmoil since he signed the 2001 reform package into law, Gov. Mike Easley seemed to be backtracking from his original role as he laid out a comprehensive plan of action Tuesday for...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Kimberly Jones remembers the day a stop sign outside her home saved a life. It was at the intersection of College and Martin streets. "Right after the stop sign was put in place, I actually saw a...

The Goldsboro City Council delivered both good and bad news at its meeting Monday night. A house at 439 East Elm Street will stand another day, but a house located at 400 North John Street will soon be demolished. And...

The rural Grange is making a come-back, say members of Wayne County's Pomona Grange. Years ago, farmers belonged to half a dozen community granges formed to advocate agriculture. They all held memberships in the county-wide Pomona Grange. But today only...

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

News-Argus/Bobby Williams This white frame house on Black Creek Road in northeastern Wayne County was the scene of a murder Monday. Law enforcement officers had processed the crime scene by early today and were asking for the public’s help...

A 17-year-old Eastern Wayne High School student accused of calling in a bomb threat to his school faces a felony-level charge, authorities said. Misael Hernandez, New Hope Road, LaGrange, faces one count of making a false bomb report to a...

FREMONT -- A young Fremont girl came home from school Monday to find her mother dead on the floor of an apparent gunshot wound, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said. Silvia Bonitez Morales, 28, was found at home with her...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cut the amount of water released from Falls Lake again Monday, holding back more water for Raleigh and, in turn, leaving users downstream with less. Reducing the release flow from 51 cubic feet per...

While the Wayne County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education continue to discuss how best to invest in elementary, middle and high school education, Don Magoon, executive director of Partnership for Children of Wayne County, wants to make sure...

MOUNT OLIVE -- Town Board members voted Monday to condemn and demolish several neighborhood "eyesores," part of a continued effort, they say, to clean up the town. Code enforcement official Danny Keel recommended the action for four homes he characterized...

Four city departments can call historic City Hall home once again. Community Affairs, Community Development, Human Resources and the City Nurse moved into the newly renovated building on Friday. These four departments are the only ones that will have offices...

Stagestruck Children's Theatre will be presenting Rogers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be the first production held in the newly rebuilt Paramount on Center Street. The shows will be held at...

In Friday's News-Argus, state House District 11 candidate Ronnie Griffin was mis-identified as a Republican. Griffin is a Democrat. And in Sunday's News-Argus, Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 1 candidate Charles Bruton was left off the filing list. Bruton...

Monday, March 3, 2008

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Carlos Cotto, right, director of workforce preparedness at Wayne Community College, talks with Farid Awad, an Arabic language instructor who will be teaching the new Arabic class at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. For more information see...

More children are entering foster care for the first time in Wayne County, but none are re-entering the system within a year of leaving and more are staying with their parents, county social services officials recently announced. The statistics were...

Carlos Cotto wants military personnel to have all the advantages they can when they head overseas. And the director of the workforce preparedness program at Wayne Community College said staying safe might depend, in part, on being able to navigate...

With only one of the District 8 District Court judge seats vacant this year, three candidates have decided to throw their hats into the ring -- the latest being Kinston attorney Chris Rogerson. Rogerson, who operates his own private practice...

Working with a $388,400 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Eastpointe, the local mental health agency serving Wayne, Lenoir, Duplin and Sampson counties, is hoping to be able to provide housing for about a dozen families...

Water service will be interrupted on Tuesday from 8 am until noon for the residents on Granville Drive and Mill Road. This is necessary for the installation of a water valve. In the event of rain the date will be...

Elementary school students in the Wayne County School system will hear a concert by the North Carolina Symphony on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at College Hall on the campus of Mount Olive College. The concert is made possible by funds...

Sunday, March 2, 2008

With filing for the May 6 primaries ending on Friday, Wayne County Board of Elections Director Vickie Reed is already beginning to look toward the next step and the beginning of absentee voting. "I think it went well," she...

A Mount Olive man has pleaded guilty to killing a former Goldsboro resident in a plea deal with prosecutors that allowed him avoid two charges in sentencing. Robert "Bobby" Leach, 36, will serve at least 20 years for the...

A tornado tore the roof off of Tammy Forrester's house. Carla Taylor's home burned down, and she lost everything. The American Red Cross helped both women rebuild their lives, and they shared their stories at the 6th annual Heroes Campaign...

From a baseball standout at Goldsboro High School to an Emmy award-winning composer in Hollywood, Ray Bunch will be the centerpiece for Wayne Community College Foundation's annual gala next month. Several events are planned for the weekend of April...

From staff reports More than 200 people gathered Thursday at the Goldsboro Country Club to mark the official end to the 2007 United Way of Wayne County Community Campaign. Jimmie Ford, 2007 chairman, thanked the many volunteers who brought the...

Smart Start is 10 years old this year. And like any other 10-year-old, has had some growing pains along the way. With nurturing and patience, its potential is still being realized, but the future looks very bright, executive director Don...

Goldsboro City Council members will be asked Monday to order the condemnation and demolition of two dilapidated dwellings cited by the city Inspections Department. Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra is expected to tell the council that the properties, located at...

From staff reports SEVEN SPRINGS -- Vendors and parade entries are being sought for the Eighth Annual Ole Timey Days Festival, which will be held on Saturday, May 10 in downtown Seven Springs. With a population of about 70, the...